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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — a stone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. season — in sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. capital — money
  8. rock — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — a city
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. land — a country
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — of the year
  17. land — ground
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — to confront
  20. land — to come down
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rash — hasty
  24. branch — a division

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com